Undergraduate Programs
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Earth and environmental engineering prepares students for careers in the public and private sector concerned with primary materials (minerals, fuels, water) and the environment. Graduates are also prepared to continue with further studies in Earth/environmental sciences and engineering, business, public policy, international studies, law, and medicine. The EEE program is accredited as an environmental engineering program by the Accreditation Board for Engi-neering and Technology (ABET).What Is Earth and Environmental Engineering?
It is now recognized by the U.S. and other nations that continuing economic development must be accompanied by intelligent use of Earth’s resources and that engineers can contribute much to the global efforts for sustainable development. The technologies that have been developed for identifying, extracting, and processing primary materials are also being applied to the twenty- first-century problems of resource recovery from used materials, pollution prevention, and environmental remediation. The EEE undergraduate program encompasses these technologies.
Undergraduate Program Objectives
1. Graduates equipped with the
necessary tools (mathematics, chemistry, physics, Earth sciences, and engineering
science) will understand and implement the underlying principles used in the engineering
of processes and systems. 2. Graduates will be able to pursue careers in industry, government agencies, and other organizations concerned with the environment and the provision of primary and secondary materials and energy, as well as continue their education as graduate students in related disciplines.
3. Graduates will possess the basic skills needed for the practice of Earth and environmental engineering, including measurement and control of material flows through the environment; assessment of environmental impact of past, present, and future industrial activities; and analysis and design of processes for remediation, recycling, and disposal of used materials.
4. Graduates will practice their profession with excellent written and communication skills and with professional ethics and responsibilities.
The Curriculum
The first two years of the EEE
program are similar to those of other engineering programs. Students are provided with a
strong foundation in basic sciences and mathematics, as well as the liberal arts core.
Specific to the EEE program is an early and sustained introduction to Earth science and
environmental engineering, and options for a number of science courses to meet the
specific interests of each student. The junior and senior years of the program consist
of a group of required courses in engineering science and a broad selection of technical
electives organized into three distinct concentrations, representing major areas of
focus within the department.
Several Columbia departments, such
as Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Earth and Environ-mental Sciences
(Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory), as well as the Mailman School of Public Health,
contribute courses to the EEE program. EEE students are strongly encouraged to work as
summer interns in industry or agencies on projects related to Earth and environmental
engineering. The department helps students get summer internships.
Technical Elective Concentrations
Students majoring in Earth and
environmental engineering select one of the following three preapproved technical
elective concentrations. Note that the eight-course sequence for each preapproved
concentration includes two science courses during sophomore year (fall semester) and six
technical elective courses during junior and senior years.
Any deviations from a preapproved
concentration must be approved by an undergraduate faculty adviser. Alterna-tives for
junior/senior electives within each concentration are listed, and others may be
considered among 3000- to 4000-level courses of any SEAS department, as well as courses
listed in the section “Courses in Other Divisions” in this bulletin. Alternatives for
sophomore-year science courses are shown in the EEE program table.
A student may also choose to
develop an individual concentration conforming to his/her specific interests, provided
that it satisfies ABET engineering accreditation criteria. Therefore, this must be
developed in close consultation with and approved by a faculty adviser.
Regardless of the technical
elective concentration, the eight-course sequence must satisfy the following criteria:
(1) at least one biological science course must be taken, and (2) at least four of the
six junior/senior electives must consist of engineering topics.
Water Resources and Climate Risks
Concentration
Preapproved course
sequence: BIOL C2005: Introduction to molecular and cellular biology (SEM III)
EESC V2100: Climate system (SEM III)
EAEE E4006: Field methods for environmental engineering (SEM VI)
EAEE E4009: GIS for resource, environmental, and infrastructure management (SEM VII)
EAEE E4350: Planning and management of urban hydrologic systems (SEM VII)
EAEE E4257: Environmental data analysis and modeling (SEM VIII)
ECIA W4100: Management and development of water systems (SEM VIII)
CIEE E4257: Contaminant transport in subsurface systems (SEM VIII)
Alternatives for junior/senior electives:
EAEE E4001: Industrial ecology of Earth resources
CIEE E4260: Urban ecology studio
CIEE E4163: Environmental engineering: wastewater
CIEN E4250: Waste containment design and practice
CIEN E4255: Flow in porous media
APPH E4200: Physics of fluids
EESC W4008: Introduction to atmospheric science
EESC W4401: Quantitative models of climate-sensitive natural and human systems
EESC W4404: Regional dynamics, climate and climate impacts
Sustainable Energy and Materials
Concentration
Preapproved course
sequence: BIOL C2005: Introduction to molecular and cellular biology (SEM III)
EESC V2200: Solid earth system (SEM III)
MECE E3311: Heat transfer (SEM VI)
EAEE E4001: Industrial ecology of Earth resources (SEM VII)
EAEE E4900: Applied transport and chemical rate phenomena (SEM VII)
MECE E4302: Advanced thermodynamics (SEM VIII)
EESC W3015: The Earth’s carbon cycle (SEM VIII)
MECE E4211: Energy: sources and conversion (SEM VIII)
Alternatives for junior/senior electives:
CHEN E3110: Transport phenomena I
CHEN E3120: Transport phenomena II
EAEE E3101: Earth resource production systems
MSAE E3103: Elements of materials science
CHEM C3071: Introduction to organic chemistry
CHEM G4230: Statistical thermodynamics
EAEE E4550: Catalysis for emissions control
EESC W4008: Introduction to atmospheric science
Environmental Health Engineering
Concentration
Preapproved course
sequence: CHEM C3443: Organic chemistry (SEM III)
EESC V2100: Climate system (SEM III)
EAEE E4006: Field methods for environmental engineering (SEM VI)
EAEE E4009: GIS for resource, environmental and infrastructure management (SEM VII)
EHSC P6300: Environmental health sciences (SEM VII)
EAEE E4257: Environmental data analysis and modeling (SEM VIII)
EAEE E4150: Air pollution prevention and control (SEM VIII)
EHSC P6309: Biochemistry basic to environmental health (SEM VIII)
Alternatives for junior/senior electives:
EAEE E4001: Industrial ecology of Earth resources
EAEE E4900: Applied transport and chemical rate phenomena
EAEE E4950: Environmental biochemical processes
CIEE E4257: Contaminant transport in subsurface systems